In the coming weeks I will publish a blog series in which I will let Google finish sentences, and answer the question that arises in the blog article. Frequently Searched Questions – FSQ!
Today: Why is my dog always hungry?
Another good question: why is my dog always hungry? There may be several reasons for this, we will look at some of them.
POMC-gene
Research has shown that there is a gene that causes increased appetite, more ‘hunting’ for food and more begging behaviour. That gene is found in the Labrador Retriever and the Flatcoated Retriever. Many of the dogs that have this gene are overweight, but not all. I have a Labrador with one copy of this gene, Idunn. For her, this is mainly reflected in an enormous drive to work for food. This is something that I can make good use of during training. Fortunately, she is not fat, but I pay very close attention to all my dogs weight.
Medical
Like in my previous article, again: have your dog checked by a vet if he is noticeably more hungry than usual. Perhaps there is an underlying medical problem that the vet can easily solve! Internal parasites, for example. Diabetes and Cushing’s disease can also cause an increased feeling of hunger. Making an appointment with the vet is therefore not an unnecessary luxury if you are unsure about the cause of your dogs increased appetite.
Quality of the feed
Take a critical look at the ingredients list of the food you feed: is this food really good for your dog? Please note: there is not one specific ‘best food’, the best food for your dog is what he does well on. That could be kibble, or raw, or maybe even something completely different. If you notice that your dog wants to eat more than usual and there is nothing medically wrong with him, it could be that something is missing from his diet. A dog nutritionist can guide you in this.
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